Reasearch (sound)

Sound

Sounds are used in films to create understanding for the audience. If there is a action packed scene then there will be dramatic and fast sounds/music. Also sound creates more meaning about the character and their emotions. Lastly sound always creates a response from the audience. 

There are key terminology and key sounds that are used in films and they are the following:

Diegetic sound:

Diegetic sound. Diegetic sound is part of the scene in the film. The sound can be anything from dialogue, music or a radio. The sound source can be visible on the screen or it can be off screen. Diegetic sound can be used in in film in a thriller as the character is at home and in the scene there can be additional sound in the scene such as the sound from the radio or someone else voice which is freaking out the character on screen. This is used to stress the reality of what is happening because in a thriller the audience can get a chilling response as they will be hearing the voice as well and it can provide sudden shock such as the radio going on. This diegetic sound is a great way to get a chilling response form the audience as they are actual sounds that the audience can relate to.

The digetic sound in this scene is the phone where the audience can see the where the sound is coming from and the phone is made the most important part of the scene. With the digetic sound from the phone it chills the audience as a phone call the audience can relate to and the audience will be frightened to pick up the phone at home when they are by themselves after the film. The digetic sound shows the audience realistic sound which scares the audience as these sounds people hear them everyday.

Non-Diegetic:

Non-diegetic sound. Non-diegetic sound is not part of the scene in the film. The sound that is not part of the film is for example a soundtrack in the scene or a voice overs and sound effects. The sound source is not visible on the screen and the source of the sound cannot be identified as it is not a part of the scene or the film. Non-diegetic sound can be used in in film in a thriller in many different ways but an example of the non-diegetic sound in a thriller can be when the attacker is committing the murder and the sound of the knife penetrating the characters body is not real or there is a slight sound effect on the attack with the knife. With the non-digetic sound this can make anything in the scene in the scene very dramatic and get a chilling response from the audience as the can physically hear the character being stabbed repeatedly which makes it much more dramatic and the sound sticks in the audiences head and they instantly are chilled.

In this video of scream this shows the non-digetic sound. The non-digigetic sound is when the antagonist/attacker runs after the victim their is a soundtrack that is playing. This is dramatic and it makes the audience feel uncomfortable knowing that the victim is going to be caught up. The non-digetic sounds are used in thriller to create tension and to to build a dramatic end to a scene. Also the non-digetic sound keeps the audience on the edge as they fear for the victim and the soundtrack makes the audience panic because that is how the soundtrack makes the audience feel.

On screen sound. On screen sound the source of the sound can be seen on screen. The sound can come from a radio, car or anything in the scene. This on screen sound can be used in thriller films to show the significance of where the sound is coming from or the object that the sound is coming from.

In this video it shows an example of on screen sound as in scream the phone is ringing and the attacker talks to the victim on the phone and the audience can see where the sound is coming from. This on screen sound chills the audience because if the audience can see where the sound is coming from then it makes it much more frightening rather than not seeing where the sound is coming from. The audience are also chilled as the phone they can see and hear it and everyone has a phone at home which makes it more realistic and no body feels safe after the film to answer their phone when they are alone at home. The on screen sound puts fear into the audience as the sound is realistic and something audience can relate to. Also the on screen sound makes an object so significant in the scene it is very hard to forget.

Off screen sound:

Off screen sound. Off screen sound is when the sound can be heard but it cannot be seen where the sound is coming from however the sound that cannot be seen still makes sense and does not confuse the audience.The off screen sound can be of the traffic or any other background sound. This off scree sound can be used in thrillers, for when the antagonist is attacking the to victim. There can be the off screen sound of a car passing for example in scream the victim is attack and the sound of the car pulling up at the house can be heard. This gives the audience a adrenaline rush and makes the audience unsettled as they are waiting to see if this sound of the car can help the victim if someone will get out of that car and save the victim. The off screen sound lets the audience create a scene in their heads with the off screen sound.

 Parallel sound:

Parallel sounds. This is sound when the sound that the audience can hear the sound in the film and it is the sound that they expect. For example the parallel sound could be a scene with children playing on a beach the sounds that the audience would expect to hear the laughter of the children, talking and even the waves on the sea.

Contrapuntal sounds:

Contrapuntal Sound. Contrapuntal sound is when the sound in the film or the scene does make sense or does not match the expectations of what the audience is watching. For example Jaws the scene where everybody is on the beach and that scene is accompanied by the contrapuntal theme tune "Dune Dune" which does not fit in with the happy scene.  

Conclusion:

Sound is an important part of thriller the sound is what makes the thriller so chilling and frightening for the audience. With the sound even if the audience close their eyes they can picture what is happening this shows that the sound is very important than anything else in a thriller or any other films. The sounds that i plan to use in my thriller is degitic sound as there has to be some sound that is part of the thriller for it to make sense to the audience. Also i will use non diegetic sounds in my thriller as sounds such as sound tracks need to be used to create tension and suspense in the thriller and the sound track will chill the audience.